Agriculture: Royal Bath and West Show

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any Minister visited the Royal Bath and West Agricultural Show in an official capacity in 2006; and whether any Minister intends to visit the same show in 2007.

Lord Rooker: There were no official ministerial visits to the Royal Bath and West Agricultural Show in 2006. Ministers will consider any invitation to attend the show in the future.

Autism

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 21 March (WA 26), whether the multi-disciplinary early intervention teams to deal with autism spectrum disorder are working at board or trust level.

Lord Rooker: The multi-disciplinary early intervention teams that are in place to deal with autistic spectrum disorder operate at trust level.

Autism

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 21 March (WA 26), how, if the multi-disciplinary early intervention teams to deal with autism spectrum disorder are operating at trust level, information is collated centrally for planning purposes.

Lord Rooker: Information provided by the health and social services trusts enables the boards to plan services to meet the needs of their population.

Autism

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 21 March (WA 26), what is the designated composition of a multi-disciplinary early intervention team to deal with autism spectrum disorder; how many teams operate within Northern Ireland; and where each team is based.

Lord Rooker: Multi-disciplinary early intervention teams to deal with autistic spectrum disorders are drawn from paediatricians, psychiatrists, educational psychologists, nurses, early intervention therapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and social workers. Seven early intervention teams operate within Northern Ireland. They are located in the following trusts: Foyle, Homefirst, Down Lisburn, North and West Belfast, South and East Belfast, Ulster Community and Hospital Trust, and Newry and Mourne, which serves all of the Southern Health and Social Services Board.

Autism

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 21 March (WA 26), who comprises the multi-disciplinary early intervention teams to deal with autism spectrum disorder in the Sperrin Lakeland Trust and in the Armagh/Dungannon Trust.

Lord Rooker: The multi-disciplinary early intervention team from the Foyle Health and Social Services Trust works in collaboration with the Sperrin Lakeland Trust and provides an early intervention therapist, a speech and language therapist and an educational psychologist. The early intervention team in the Armagh/Dungannon Trust is provided by the Newry and Mourne Trust.

Benefits: Childless Adults

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What would be the cost of doubling income support and jobseeker's personal allowances for childless adults.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The cost of doubling the adult basic personal allowances (ignoring all premiums) in income support and jobseeker's allowance would be around £15 billion in the next financial year (2007–08). This is more than double the current expenditure level because some people not currently on these benefits would gain entitlement, as a result of the increase. The cost is borne across income support, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	The cost of retaining the current adult basic personal allowances (ignoring all premiums) to adults with children, while doubling them for those without children, would be around £10.5 billion in the next financial year.
	These costs are purely in terms of increased benefit expenditure. They do not take account of adverse behavioural impacts to the Exchequer or the economy and assume current levels of unemployment.

Biodiversity: Global Information Facility

Lord Taverne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, as one of the 26 current voting participants, they will confirm continuing financial support for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Lord Rooker: The governing board of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is involved in negotiations about its future strategy, including levels of funding for 2007–11. The board has had difficulty reaching agreement on a range of issues, particularly the overall level of funding for the GBIF and the scale of assessment used to calculate financial contributions. A decision on whether the UK should continue to participate and support the GBIF financially will be based on the outcomes of these negotiations.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many consultants have been engaged to date on preparations for the Commission for Equality and Human Rights; what processes have been used to engage them; what are their respective day rates of pay; what costs have been incurred to date in 2006-07; and how many of the consultants are from ethnic-minority backgrounds.

Baroness Andrews: The Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) transition programme is tasked with ensuring that the CEHR is ready to open its doors by 1 October 2007. By its very nature, the CEHR is a major and complex change programme. Consultants have been, or are expected to be, appointed to support the programme in the specialist areas of project management, legal advice, human resources, executive recruitment, IT, communications, property and estates management, organisation design, and change management.
	Procurement of consultants and professional services has been through government frameworks to ensure transparency, value for money and the ability to deliver to government standards. For the financial year 2006–07, costs incurred are in the region of £250,000. As consultants have been procured through government frameworks, the day rates are considered competitive market rates for the nature of the specialist services provided.

Common Agricultural Policy: Single Farm Payment

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Rural Payments Agency has had to cease using the new information technology system for processing single farm payments; and whether they are now using an old information technology system or processing the payments manually.

Lord Rooker: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has not ceased using the new information technology system for processing single farm payments. All single payment scheme claims have been, or are in the process of being, validated through the new system and presented to the RPA finance system for payment.

Community Funding: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	To which areas in Northern Ireland the Renewing Communities Fund of £33 million announced in April is being distributed; and how much is being distributed to each project.

Lord Rooker: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson) launched the Renewing Communities Action Plan on 4 April. The plan, which is available in the Library, includes 62 actions relating to the following five fundamental challenges: improving life prospects, building communities and social cohesion, growing civic and community leadership and active citizenship, improving public service delivery and outcomes, and freeing communities from paramilitary and criminal influence.
	Various measures will be introduced to re-focus existing policy to improve service delivery. The impact of these actions, in parallel with other recently announced initiatives, should be felt across all disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland.
	Specific measures will also be introduced to mitigate the particular obstacles faced in some Protestant communities which prevent them engaging with, and benefiting from, existing programmes.
	Budget allocations for each action are included in the Renewing Communities document.

Defra: Staff

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons are employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and how many are currently tasked on each of the following areas of policy and administration: (a) British agriculture; (b) British forestry; (c) other United Kingdom matters; (d) European Union policy and relations; and (e) issues arising from the rest of the world.

Lord Rooker: Information on the number of staff employed by all government departments is published in Civil Service Statistics, which is available in the Library and at the following address on the Cabinet Office statistics website at www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/index.asp.
	Staff numbers broken down into the areas of policy and administration requested are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Permanent Secretary

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the present salary of the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Permanent Secretary's present salary is £158,929.

Department for Work and Pensions: Permanent Secretary

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Department for Work and Pensions disclosed the salary of its previous Permanent Secretary but has to date refused to disclose the salary of the present Permanent Secretary, other than as a range between £130,350 and £209,477 per annum.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Permanent Secretary's salary is published annually in the DWP resource accounts. The present Permanent Secretary has made clear that he is happy to disclose his salary, which is currently £158,929.

Department for Work and Pensions: Permanent Secretary

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the reasons of privacy which have overridden the public interest in the present salary of the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Individual salaries are not normally disclosed, to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. The present Permanent Secretary has made clear that he is happy to disclose his salary, which is currently £158,929.

EU: Council of Ministers

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will propose the publication in full of the proceedings of the European Union Council of Ministers whenever the Council sits for legislative purposes.

Lord Triesman: My right honourable friend the Prime Minister made clear our commitment to transparency in the Council of Ministers to the European Parliament last June. Council transparency was discussed at the June European Council, from 15 to 16 June. The presidency conclusions are now a matter of public record.

European Convention on Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there have been cases in which the courts of other member states of the European Union have interpreted and applied Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights more restrictively than British courts but compatibly with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights; and, if so, whether they will publish details of such cases; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 25 May (WA 120) regarding interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, whether they intend to include in their work an evaluation of the relevant case law and legislation of France, Germany and Spain, as European countries especially affected by terrorism; and (b) publish the results of this work.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The work that the Prime Minister has requested will be completed in time to submit it to him by the end of June. It will include consideration where relevant of the experiences of other European countries; however, the work will mainly focus on our experience in this country of the implementation and interpretation of the Human Rights Act 1998. No decision has yet been taken about whether any publication will result from this work.

Explosives Act 1875

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why proposals to replace most of the Explosives Act 1875 and related secondary legislation in Northern Ireland are not to be dealt with by primary legislation.

Lord Rooker: The proposed Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) will be made under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, to meet the obligation created by Articles 3 and 53 of that order to replace the Explosives Act 1875 with health and safety regulations and approved codes of practice.

Finance Bill: Trusts

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of divorce settlements made each year which contain financial provisions relying on the use of trusts; and
	Whether they have considered the impact of the Finance Bill provisions related to trusts on the Muslim community; and, if so, whether they will publish their findings; and
	Whether the provisions of the Finance Bill related to trusts adequately protect vulnerable and disabled people.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The amendments made by the Finance Bill Standing Committee to Schedule 20 to the Finance Bill have addressed concerns about the impact on observants of Sharia law that had been raised. Members of the Muslim community have welcomed the amendments tabled by the Government. HMRC officials understand from lawyers practising in family law, with extensive experience of handling divorce and the related issues, that trusts are very seldom used in modern divorce settlements, and are far from standard practice—other mechanisms are typically used to divide up matrimonial property. The provisions made by Schedule 20 for vulnerable and disabled people are in line with other provisions for the income tax and capital gains tax treatment of trusts. Those arrangements were arrived at following extensive consultation with interested groups.

Forced Marriages

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to introduce criminal sanctions or other dissuasive measures to combat forced and child marriages.

Lord Triesman: In September 2005 the joint Forced Marriage Unit of the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) launched a consultation on whether to create a specific criminal offence of forcing someone into marriage. A summary of the responses to that consultation was published on 7 June 2006 in A Wrong Not a Right. The full text of the document can be found on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/Files/KFile/05062006%20Final%20FM%20Report%20NJA.pdf. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.
	Respondents feared that legislation would drive the problem further underground and increase the risk of forced marriage victims being taken overseas and held there.
	We have not ruled out the possibility of developing new legislation on forced marriage in the future but believe that a specific offence should be created only if there are gaps in existing legislation that cannot be filled. However, to tackle the issue more effectively, several recommendations for non-legislative activity will be taken forward. First, we will increase the level of training for professionals in this field. Secondly, we will increase the work done with statutory agencies in sharing best practice and implementing guidelines for dealing with cases of forced marriage. Thirdly, we will ensure that existing legislation is fully implemented, including making better use of civil remedies and the family courts. Many existing criminal offences may be committed during a forced marriage, such as kidnap, false imprisonment, assault, rape and, in some cases, murder. We support forced marriage victims who choose to make prosecutions and will continue to do so.

Guantanamo Bay

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to repeat their request to the Government of the United States to close down Guantanamo Bay.

Lord Triesman: We have made clear that we regard the circumstances under which detainees continue to be held at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay as unacceptable and that it should be closed. The United States Government are fully aware of our views.

Gulf War Syndrome

Lord Tyler: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the cost of circulating details of the judgments in the pension appeal cases of those suffering from Gulf War illness to veterans of the 1991–92 Gulf War.

Lord Drayson: No such assessment has been made, and we have no plans to circulate details of individual judgments. Decisions made by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal are particular to the case under appeal and are not therefore routinely circulated.
	However, the Government recognise that certain aspects of the decisions in the pension appeal cases relating to Gulf War illness of veterans who served in the 1991–92 Gulf War—in particular, regarding the term "Gulf War syndrome"—are of wider interest and importance. These have been announced to Parliament and to veterans' groups and publicised in the media, including a recent article in Veterans World published by the Veterans Agency.

Gypsies and Travellers

Baroness Whitaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the report of the Commission for Racial Equality Common Ground: Equality, good race relations and sites for Gypsies and Irish Travellers.

Baroness Andrews: The Government welcome the Common Ground report from the Commission for Racial Equality. The report makes clear that, unless action is taken, the shortage of sites for Gypsies and Travellers will continue and so will the problems that come with unauthorised camping.
	The Government's policy framework provides a clear route to increase site provision. The Gypsy and Traveller Unit in the Department for Communities and Local Government is already working with local authorities to make sure that this happens. Officials will meet the CRE to discuss ways to work with it and other public bodies to bring about further improvements.

Human Rights Act 1998

Lord Skelmersdale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect their review of the Human Rights Act 1998 will be completed; and
	Whether the results of their review into the Human Rights Act 1998 will be published.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The work that the Prime Minister has requested will be completed in time to submit it to him by the end of June. It will include consideration where relevant of the experiences of other European countries; however, the work will mainly focus on our experience in this country of the implementation and interpretation of the Human Rights Act 1998. No decision has yet been taken about whether any publication will result from this work.

Immigration: IND Website

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any reports they have received on technical problems affecting the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's website; what penalties they have imposed or will impose on the software contractors; and when they expect the website to function properly.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The technical problems with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) website resulted primarily from an unprecedented demand for the site over the past few months. The IND has appointed new hardware and software providers that will be able to meet the future development needs of the site. The first stage of the project to improve the service provided by the IND website was completed by the new contractors on 7 June 2006. Access to the site should now be significantly improved.

Israel and Palestine: Civilian Casualties

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make further representations to the Government of Israel in the context of the European Union quartet's repeated requests for an end to the killing of Palestinian civilians.

Lord Triesman: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised with Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, on 14 June the deaths of Palestinians as a result of Israeli Defence Force activities in the Occupied Territories. We will continue to raise our concerns at ministerial and official level.

Israel and Palestine: Occupied Territories

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have received any recent response from the Government of Israel to their calls for withdrawal by Israel from the Occupied Territories.

Lord Triesman: During Israeli Prime Minister Olmert's meeting with my right honourable friend the Prime Minister on 12 June, Mr Olmert set out his plan to dismantle settlements in the West Bank. The Prime Minister made clear that the priority now is negotiations. These are manifestly the best way to move this process forward. It is the role of the international community to give negotiations the best chance of success.
	We remain committed to the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, and the establishment of a just and lasting peace.

Military Courts

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the procedures and processes for military courts will be brought in line with normal court prosecutions.

Lord Drayson: The Armed Forces Bill, which received its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Wednesday 14 June, will establish a single system of law that will apply to the personnel of all three services. Provisions in the Bill, including those in relation to military courts, reflect the civilian criminal justice system of England and Wales, where it is sensible and practicable to do so. But these courts retain their essential military character as part of a separate military criminal justice system.

Ministerial Accountability

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Carltona principle of ministerial accountability for the acts and omissions of civil servants applies to the Home Office.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: 2 All ER 560, the courts have recognised that,
	"the duties imposed on Ministers and the powers given to Ministers are normally exercised under the authority of the Ministers by responsible officials of the department. Public business could not be carried on if that were not the case".

NHS: Generic Drugs

Baroness Tonge: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent discussions they have held with manufacturers of generic drugs concerning the price paid for these drugs by the National Health Service.

Lord Warner: The Department of Health has held no recent discussions with manufacturers of generic drugs concerning prices paid for these drugs by the National Health Service.

North/South Implementation Bodies

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 24 May (WA 109), what percentage of employees in the implementation bodies in Northern Ireland were (a) Protestant; (b) Roman Catholic; and (c) non-determined, on 1 January of each year since the implementation bodies were established.

Lord Rooker: The number of staff employed by the North/South implementation bodies in Northern Ireland on 1 January for each year from 2000 to 2006 is shown in the table below, together with the percentage from each community background.
	
		
			  Total Employees Number of Bodies* Protestant Roman Catholic Non-Determined 
			 2000 25 1 67 per cent 33 per cent 0 per cent 
			 2001 41 3 44 per cent 56 per cent 0 per cent 
			 2002 71 4 31 per cent 69 per cent 0 per cent 
			 2003 146 4 34 per cent 64.5 per cent 1.5 per cent 
			 2004 184 5 30 per cent 67 per cent 3 per cent 
			 2005 199 5 30 per cent 66 per cent 4 per cent 
			 2006 208 5 32 per cent 64 per cent 4 per cent 
		
	
	* Number of North/South implementation bodies employing any staff in Northern Ireland at the date requested.

Palace of Westminster: Westminster Hall

Lord Laird: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answer on 15 June (WA 41) concerning work in Westminster Hall, whether the impact assessment covered the area at the top of the stairs at the south end of Westminster Hall or the area around St Stephen's entrance; and what consultations have taken place with the staff in the area concerning the health implications of the work.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The impact assessment of the possible health and safety effects of the work in Westminster Hall covered the area at the top of the stairs at the south end of Westminster Hall and the area around St Stephen's entrance.
	The only staff in the area for whom this House has any responsibility are members of the security forces. The security forces were fully consulted before the project started. Since the project began, there have been no complaints from any member of the security forces about the conditions in the area.

Peace Funding: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many organisations have been refused Peace II funding by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland on the grounds of a lack of reconciliation in the application; and how many have had the decision reversed on appeal.

Lord Rooker: The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland refused Peace II funding to 58 organisations on the grounds of a lack of reconciliation in the application. One decision was reversed on appeal.

Peace Funding: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the religious background of the special European Union Peace funding body employees who work in Northern Ireland in each grade.

Lord Rooker: Grading SOC Groups Protestant Roman Catholic Non-determined 
			 Chief executive 1 3 5 0 
			 Deputy chief executive  
			 Directors  
			 Managers  
			 Programme officers 2 and 3 2 7 0 
			 Senior personal secretary 4 3 8 2 
			 Clerical supervisor  
			 Clerical officer  
			 Clerical assistant  
		
	
	Under Regulation 16 of Statutory Rule 1999 No 148. Fair Employment (Monitoring) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, it is an offence for the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) to disclose information about the determination of the community background to which any individual employee belongs. To provide a breakdown of the nine individual staff grades in the SEUPB by community background could identify the background of individuals, as the numbers involved in some cases are very small.
	However, a listing of the SEUPB's grading structure has been provided, together with a breakdown of the community background of staff located in the SEUPB's Belfast and Omagh offices by standard occupational classification (SOC) group. The community background of staff within the SEUPB by SOC group at the date of the last annual monitoring return to the Equality Commission on 1 January 2006 is provided above.

Pensions: Financial Reporting Standards

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will consult Sir David Tweedie, chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board, on the problems that he perceives FRS17 causes for pension funds.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Financial reporting standard No. 17, commonly known as FRS17, is a requirement designed to show the extent of pension fund commitments on a company's balance sheet. It was drawn up by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB), which is independent of Government.
	The ASB is aware of concerns raised about FRS17. On 31 May it announced proposals to amend the disclosure requirements of FRS17 to achieve convergence with international accounting standards. Consultation on these proposals ends on 11 September.
	The Government have no current plans to discuss FRS17 with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). However, the ASB maintains regular contact with the IASB. In addition, the ASB has set up a pensions advisory panel to consider the fundamental principles of pensions accounting. Observers from the Treasury, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Regulator attend the panel's meetings.

Police: Community Relations

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the police service with a view to the provision of additional training for police officers in key aspects of Islamic culture to assist the improvement of community relations.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: A principal aim of the Government's police reform programme is to provide a citizen-focused service that responds to the needs of individuals and communities and inspires confidence in the police. The police race and diversity learning and development programme (PRDLDP) seeks to help fulfil this aim. It was launched on 24 November 2004 in A strategy for improving performance in race and diversity 2004-2009, which outlined a five-year plan for forces in England and Wales. The focus of the strategy is to facilitate the development of knowledge, to progress understanding and provide skills, to challenge attitudes and change behaviour. It makes clear that race and diversity is, and must remain, a critical part of every force's core business. While race necessarily remains the primary focus, the strategy explicitly encompasses religion and belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age.
	In a fundamentally different approach to what was previously known as community and race relations training, race and diversity learning and development is now being embedded in all training material and is being contextualised to take into account the needs of local communities as well as the rank or role of the officer or staff member. A crucial programme goal is to ensure that, by 2009, everyone in the police service is assessed as competent against national occupational standards relating to race and diversity.

Police: Information Sharing

Baroness Harris of Richmond: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 April (WA 227), what safeguards will be introduced to ensure security of access to information shared between police forces through the cross-regional information sharing project.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Code of Practice on the Management of Police Information requires chief police officers to ensure that arrangements exist in their forces to prevent unauthorised or accidental access to, amendment of, or loss of police information.
	The IMPACT programme is working closely with the National Accreditor for Police Systems, and with the approval of the Police Information Assurance Board, to ensure that the CRISP solution complies with the appropriate security standards.
	The programme will guide forces on the security measures they need to introduce, including security accreditation compliance audits to the national security standard established for IMPACT CRISP.

Police: Information Sharing

Baroness Harris of Richmond: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 April (WA 227), how the reliability and provenance of information shared between police forces through the cross-regional information sharing project will be assured.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Police forces are required to comply with the Code of Practice and Guidance on the Management of Police Information. The code requires chief police officers to establish recording procedures which emphasise the need for police information to be as complete and accurate as possible. The guidance stipulates that all police information must conform to data quality principles, including those relating to accuracy, adequacy, relevance and timeliness. Compliance with the code and guidance is being implemented across the 43 forces of England and Wales in parallel with the development of the cross-regional information-sharing project.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 7 June (WA 196) concerning the Police Service of Northern Ireland, what steps they are taking to bring the number of part-time constables up to the establishment figures.

Lord Rooker: I have been advised that on 2 February 2006 members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board debated the future of part-time police officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	The board took the decision to roll out four new areas of recruitment in respect of part-time police officers following a scoping study by the PSNI.
	This recruitment campaign will be launched on 15 June 2006. It is anticipated that 150 part-time police officers will be recruited in this campaign.
	The board's decision of 2 February reflected that, since the publication of the Patten report, there have been developments in the delivery of community policing, the deployment of part-time police officers and the evolvement in police services in England and Wales of PSCOs.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under their plans for police force restructuring, what form, powers, responsibilities and membership any new independent police authority body will have in those areas subject to merged forces.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The powers and responsibilities of police authorities are set in the Police Act 1996 and other relevant statutes. These will not change as a result of restructuring, although the Police and Justice Bill contains measures to enhance the responsibilities of police authorities. The membership of any strategic police authorities would be determined by an amalgamation order made under Section 32 of the 1996 Act. The number of members will be a matter for discussion between the Home Office and the precursor police authorities. For a transitional period, we would expect the balance of councillor, independent and magistrate members to be broadly as now. The Police and Justice Bill also contains measures to remove the separate category of magistrate members from police authorities.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there will be locally elected representatives on any new police authority body to be created under their plans for police force restructuring; and, if so, what proportion of the total membership of each such body will be elected members.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: As now, elected local councillors will have a majority of one on any strategic police authority.

Police: Reorganisation

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they will seek to ensure that any new independent police authority body to be created under their plans for police force restructuring will be representative of all areas within the new force area.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Any amalgamation order made under Section 32 of the Police Act 1996 would provide that at least one member of each county and unitary council within the new police force area is appointed to the strategic police authority.

Schools: Armagh

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the proposed location of the secondary integrated school at Armagh; whether this location has been approved; and whether the selection of this location has been the subject of an equality impact assessment.

Lord Rooker: The location for the new school for Armagh Integrated College is the Keady Road, Armagh, approximately one mile from the city centre. The Department of Education wrote to the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education on 10 February 2006 advising it that the department was satisfied of the suitability of the site for the future development of the school. The council has advised that it has received planning approval for phase one of the development and has recently lodged a planning application for the longer-term development of the site. The suitability of this location was subject to a site feasibility assessment prepared by the department. An equality impact assessment was not undertaken, as this is not considered relevant to the site approval process.

Small Business Service

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which Ministers of the Crown are accountable for the failures of the Small Business Service identified in the National Audit Office report.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The small business sector has continued to thrive and grow over the past seven years. There are now a record number of businesses, some 4.3 million, nearly 600,000 more than seven years ago. The United Kingdom remains one of the top places in the world to do business, as recognised by the OECD and the World Bank.
	The NAO report recognised a number of the major contributions made by the Small Business Service (SBS); in particular, the turnaround in Business Link performance, the impact of the award winning cross-government channel for businesses (www.businesslink.gov.uk) and the adoption of SBS initiatives such as common commencement dates for new regulations. The Government are considering all the recommendations in the report, including those where the NAO expressed concern. We are examining the 10 recommendations in detail. The chief executive of the Small Business Service reports, through the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Tourism: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the unique selling points used by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to promote tourism in Northern Ireland; and whether Ulster-Scots culture is one of them.

Lord Rooker: The NITB is working with Government and the tourism industry to deliver its commitments identified in the Strategic Framework for Action, 2005–2007, which dictates the organisation's business focus.
	In the strategic framework for action, 10 unique selling points (USPs) have been clearly identified: five signature projects—the Giant's Causeway, the walled city, Christian heritage, the Mournes National Park and Titanic—and five winning themes—short breaks, events, business tourism, activity tourism and cultural tourism.
	The NITB does not currently use Ulster-Scots as a major selling point in tourism marketing. Market research informs us that customers, both existing and potential, are not looking specifically for niche products such as Ulster-Scots. They demand a more general cultural tourism product.
	The NITB has, however, recently published The American Connection brochure, which tells the story of the links between Northern Ireland and north America. It is being used as a marketing tool to promote Northern Ireland, particularly in the US and GB markets, by Tourism Ireland and the NITB.
	The NITB and Tourism Ireland will ensure that cultural tourism, including the Scots-Irish culture, will continue to form part of the marketing strategy in the USA and part of the forthcoming Smithsonian Folklife Festival, in July 2007.